The World is Changed - Man of Steel and Woman of Gold
by kon-el112
Summary: Clark and Diana attempt to build a strong and loving relationship as Superman vows to protect the ideals of truth and justice as a farm boy from Kansas whilst Wonder Woman fights as the warrior princess from Themyscira. What can they learn from one another about why they choose to fight and will Clark's limitless compassion for all humanity stop him from truly committing to Diana?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Clark Kent had just finished another day at the Daily Planet and was walking alone through the streets of Metropolis and back to his apartment. He had hardly spoken to Lois all day as she was busy on a top-secret exposé that she was adamant Clark would try to steal from her. The Chief had had Jimmy running all over the city to try to capture shots of Wonder Woman, Metropolis' latest superheroine and Superman's new girlfriend, and so Clark was left to himself most of the day. His only company was the overly sexual Cat Grant, who seemed, Clark observed, very eager to do her very own exposé exclusively for him. _I wonder if Jimmy got any decent pictures of Diana_ , he thought to himself as he strolled through the alley that would shorten the walk to his apartment by at least ten minutes. He could have flown back, but after a long day at work he liked to relax himself by staying grounded. As he passed under a streetlamp, the only illumination on an otherwise pitch black stretch of pavement, he heard the faint muttering of a woman's voice. It was weak, but discernible. He turned to his right, the direction from which the sound had come, and saw a young lady, in her early 20s, sitting propped up against the wall. He was surprised that he hadn't seen her earlier. He could see just as well in the dark as in the light.

"Sir" the woman choked, looking up with a shy smile. She had long auburn hair, like Lana's he recollected, that was knotted in terrible clumps; just above her right ear there was a section of it that had been cut much shorter than the rest, only just falling halfway down her cheek. Her eyes looked tired and there was a fading bruise on the left side of her face. Her clothes were dirty and she wore no shoes. He saw that she had large blisters on the soles of her feet. "I'm… I'm terribly sorry to ask but…" she coughed loudly and Clark could see that she was clearly in pain. He wasn't dressed as Superman and he could very easily have just continued walking without ever looking back, but that thought never even crossed Clark's mind. Superman the hero wore a bright blue suit, but all you need to be Superman is compassion. He rushed straight over to her, took off his jacket and wrapped her in it. "No… no. I can't possibly take your jacket" the woman almost whispered now "it's so cold and you need it. I just… just wondered if you knew someplace where I could sleep tonight?" There was not even a hint of suggestiveness in her voice. She began to remove the jacket but Clark held it on her. With his super-hearing he could hear her heartbeat growing fainter. "You just come with me" he said, and he lifted her off the ground as her eyes began to close and she lost consciousness.

As soon as Clark arrived home he lay the woman down on his bright red sofa and covered her in a blanket from his bedroom. _Diana is not going to be happy if she comes and finds a strange woman lying in torn clothes on my furniture_ Clark thought to himself. He took his thick-framed glasses, that were way too big for him, off of his face and lay them on his kitchen island. He quickly changed from his suit and tie into grey tracksuit bottoms and a white t-shirt. He went to lie down on the sofa with his book but realised that the entire length of it had been occupied. With a shrug of his shoulders he sat on the floor with his back against the hard wall, book in hand.

Half an hour had passed when Clark heard Diana's familiar heartbeat from outside the window. He leapt up and flew across the floor, opening up the doors to his third floor balcony. He gazed up into the night sky and above him was the most beautiful woman in the world. Her long, wavy black hair fell past her shoulders and even in the dark he could see her piercing blue eyes. As soon as she saw him she gave a huge smile, soaring down and embracing him with a long, passionate kiss.

"I'm so pleased to see you" Diana said to him, moving her lips away from his for only a moment before bringing them back together. "You wouldn't believe the day I've had! And to top it all off, some nerdy kid photographer kept following me everywhere I went. It was a nightmare!" Clark smiled. He had missed Diana too.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about Jimmy" Clark said, "the Chief sent him out to take photos of you. He works for the Daily Planet; I should have given you a heads up".

"Yeah, you should have done" Diana gave Clark a cheeky smile. "Anyway, I'm starving" she said, making towards the inside of the apartment, "I'll get changed into something more comfortable and then we'll go some place for dinner? I've had an unusual craving for that food we had last night. What was that called again?"

"Spaghetti" Clark reminder her.

"Spaghetti" Diana repeated the word, as if just hearing it allowed her to feel it on her tongue. A smile started on her face. "Themysciran food is far less addictive than the food in Man's World" Diana said.

"Do you have sugar in Themyscira?" Clark asked with a smile "Or aspartame?"

"No, I do not think so" Diana said, with a quizzical expression.

"That'll explain it" said Clark, putting a silly smile on his face. When she first met Clark, Diana remembered, his tendency for wearing that goofy grin on his face whenever he said something that would often go right over her head was one of the things that she disliked most about him; now she found it was one of the things that she found most attractive. That and, of course, being able to literally move the planet with his biceps.

"So what do you think?" Diana said "Want to grab some dinner with your girlfriend?" Her voice moved slightly high pitched and she swung her arms around his neck.

"Gee, Di, I really would" Clark started "but the thing is…" Diana happened to glance into the apartment and saw the young girl on the sofa. She looked at Clark with the facade of a smile whilst bringing her arms back down to her side and stepping back one pace. She reached down to her belt for her lasso.

"Clark, honey, WHAT IS THAT?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Diana, I can explain" Clark said hurriedly.

"That remains to be seen, Clark. But you'll definitely be able to do a better job of talking than _she_ will" with that Diana leapt over to the sofa and was about to unleash her warrior cry when Clark flew in between her and the still-sleeping woman, grabbing onto the metal bracelet that lay on Diana's wrist and pinning her hand above her head.

"It's nothing like that, Di. You know I'd never do anything to hurt you" Clark's earnest tone went someway to calming Diana's rage. "I found her on the way back from work. She was cold, hurt and needed a place to sleep. I didn't know where else to take her so I took her back here. She's been asleep the whole time." Diana relaxed the muscles in her arm and Clark took this as the cue to release her wrist. She had to admit, saving someone's life was a far more Superman thing to do than to sleep with someone behind her back. She had to take a few breaths to calm her warrior rage but after that she returned to normal.

"I'm sorry" Diana said, sheepishly. She didn't like it when she got jealous over a man but a thousand years spent being told that all men were pigs who were intent on using women as objects made her more cynical than most. She knew that Clark wasn't like the men that Hippolyta had described to her, but even so she found it difficult to trust him entirely. They had only been dating for a few weeks and had only begun showing any physical affection a week ago. Diana remembered the first time quite vividly. They had just finished their dinner date at a Chinese restaurant and Clark had offered to walk her home. They both knew that she was quite safe walking through the Metropolis streets at any time of night or day but neither mentioned this. Instead, Diana graciously accepted and Clark walked with her the ten blocks back to her apartment. They talked and laughed the whole time, about Bruce mainly, but really it was nothing in particular. When they arrived outside the building in which Diana was living they stopped for a moment on the front porch. Clark had simply looked at her, smiled and given her a light peck on her forehead. " _Goodnight, Diana"_ he had whispered before flying off into the sky. At the time she had thought it was so odd, having his lips on her skin, but the more she thought about that moment the more magical it became. Their earlier kiss on the balcony was only the third time that they had kissed each other on the lips. In that moment Diana found herself picturing a whole future with Clark, then she remembered the girl on the sofa.

Clark had left the princess now, quite content that she wouldn't try to kill anybody, and was kneeling beside the strange woman. A pang of jealousy shot through Diana's body as she saw him pull the sheet further up over her shoulders, his face lined with friendliness and concern. Up until this moment Diana had always assumed that Clark's charming smile was only something that he executed for show. Now, however, he was looking at this young woman, who was neither awake nor responsive, with quite the same charming smile on his face. She realised that he never smiled in order to impress anyone; he was simply genuinely content to have been able to have made a difference in their life. The princess of Themyscira had never seen a man more powerful, nor more humble, in her entire life. Diana took this moment to really look at the young girl who was now strewn across her boyfriend's couch. She was tall, about 5ft 9 ( _a couple of inches shorter than me_ Diana thought to herself) and although her form was frail Diana noticed that she really was quite beautiful. She had long auburn hair _(that needs a brush,_ Diana thought) and a fair complexion that was stained only by a fading blue bruise that lay on the left side of her face. Diana of course felt immense sorrow for the girl. The Themyscirans knew, better than most, the trauma that an abuse victim could go through and Diana had always been trained to feel the pain of one of her sisters as her own. With all of those empathetic and considerate thoughts running through her head there was still only one that kept screaming out to her: _why couldn't you have just saved an ugly one, Clark?_

"I'll have to stay here with her tonight, Diana. I don't want her waking up in a strange apartment and thinking that she's not somewhere safe. Do you mind if we do spaghetti tomorrow?" The truth was that Diana didn't mind at all. Clark's limitless compassion was an aspect of his personality that she wanted to emulate, not debilitate.

"Not at all Clark, but it's late and cold…" Diana replied,

"It's fine, Diana, you can go home; I'll be alright by myself."

"No, that's not what I was going to say at all! I wanted to say that it's late and cold and you must be hungry. I'll go and grab us some takeaway and we can take turns getting some rest. I'll get enough food for the three of us: if she wakes up she looks like she could use a bite or two". Diana smiled.

Clark didn't know what he'd done to deserve such an amazing woman in his life. He looked up at Diana, who was smiling at him with the most beautiful smile in the world. She was still wearing her Amazon armour, which did little to conceal her strong but feminine form. Her long legs emerged from beneath her golden skirt and her glowing lasso sat comfortably on her hip. She was a force to be reckoned with; Clark knew that all too well. Her beauty must just have been another asset given to her by Zeus but Clark could see that the determination behind her eyes was as real as anything he ever felt. Diana's smile slowly turned into a puzzled look as she wondered why Clark had been staring at her for so long.

"Have I ever told you…" Clark began, rising to his feet and moving toward Diana with his eyes fixed softly on hers, "that you are _the most beautiful_ _woman_ who has ever and who will ever walk this Earth". Diana was taken aback. Clark had never told her that and it made her feel wonderful, but even so she knew that she never wanted his primary attraction for her to be based on her appearance.

"Clark, I…" Diana was interrupted when she felt Clark gently put one hand on her right hip, purposefully brushing the lasso, and with the other pulled her own hand up so it was outstretched to the left. He turned his head and looked at the vintage record player in the corner of his room. A slow tune began to play quietly through the speakers as the needle seemed to drop by magic. Diana was amazed.

"Exactly how many super powers do you have?!" she asked with incredulity. Clark simply gave a cheeky smile and, under the influence of the lasso, slowly muttered "Nine. But it's ten if you count always being able to tell when to take a meringue out of the oven". Diana chuckled even though she didn't know what a meringue was. She sensed it wasn't the right time but made a mental note to ask him about it later. Slowly they started to dance to the song that had begun to play. It was slow and soothing, but with a meaningful rhythm and beat. After the musical introduction, a voice began to sing:

 _She's six foot tall and built like a broad._

 _She's got deep blue eyes and is self-assured._

 _She know's what I'm thinking before I speak my mind;_

 _Yeah, the woman I love is one of a kind._

"Clark…" Diana began. Then she looked sheepishly to the floor before looking up at him again. "I like this song" she said shyly. Clark just smiled and slowly continued moving them backwards and forwards in time with the music. He had to keep looking at his feet every now and then, making sure he didn't step on Diana's. The singing continued:

 _But that's not why I love her,_

 _And it's not why I think_

 _She's the most wonderful girl a man could ever meet._

 _She's got long dark hair and a perfect complexion_

 _And she's not quick to give her affection._

Clark stopped the music at that point. Diana looked disappointed.

"What's the matter?" she asked him, "did I do something wrong?"

"Something wrong? Not at all, Diana!" Clark said back to her. "You were excellent". Then he pointed over his right shoulder. "I've just got a feeling that a certain young lady is watching us".


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Diana stopped dancing and looked over Clark's shoulder. Sure enough, the young woman that Clark had brought home had her eyes open and was watching them intently. Diana felt a rush of wind blow through her hair as Clark hurriedly released his hold on Diana's hips and shot over to kneel beside the girl.

"Hello" he said to her softly. "I'm Clark. I'm sure you've already heard of Wonder Woman" he signalled to Diana and the princess gave her a small wave; she realised that she was still in her Amazon gear and so Clark had no choice but to introduce her as her superhero alter-ego. Clark continued. "You're safe here. Is there anything you need?" The young lady began to slowly sit up. She was clearly exhausted and when she tried to speak only a pained croaking was able to escape from her mouth. Diana hadn't moved from the position she was in before Clark had stopped dancing; something wasn't quite right about that woman. Now, however, she forced herself to see the world like Superman did and simply tried to see a person in need of help.

"I'm going to go out and get us some food, Clark." Diana said, backing out of the window. "Is there anything else that you need?"

"No thank you, Wonder Woman; the food will be enough" then he added "fly safely". Diana smiled. She was still a little on edge but Clark's words had gone some way to reassuring her. She never wanted to be defined by her relationship with Clark, and she certainly wasn't, but she found that he had a remarkable way of soothing her nerves. She flew off to collect food for the three of them. _Perhaps I'll bring back some meringues_ , Diana thought to herself.

When Diana returned she found that the girl was now sitting up on the sofa, still wrapped in a sheet, and drinking some sort of hot drink that Clark had presumably made for her. She jumped as Diana landed in the room.

"I'm sorry to startle you" Diana said "but I have some food. We thought that you might be hungry". She lay five boxes of pizza down on the table and justified each option to the girl as she opened the boxes: "one pepperoni pizza, in case you like meat, one olive pizza, in case you like olives, one anchovy pizza, in case you like fish, and two Hawaiian pizzas…"

"In case you like Hawaiians" Clark finished Diana's sentence and threw his hands in the air with a beaming smile as if to congratulate his own wit. The woman was completely unresponsive and Diana just gave him a glare.

"What?!" Clark said, feigning innocence. "Seriously, how was that sentence going to end? There's just no justification for putting pineapples on a pizza". Diana kept quiet. She knew that there really was no justification for putting pineapples on a pizza, but secretly a Hawaiian pizza was her favourite anyway. Once she had laid the food out for the girl she turned her attention to Clark and slowly walked up to him. She whispered so only he could hear her.

"Have you learnt anything yet?" Diana asked "about how she ended up on the street or got that bruise on her face I mean?" She gently touched his arm.

"No" Clark said, hanging his head. "I can't get her to say a single word to me and I don't want to force her. She'll speak when she feels ready. Besides," he continued "at least I got her to drink that hot chocolate. She wouldn't drink any of the water I gave her, and I offered it five separate times, whenever she coughed". He motioned to an empty glass that was sitting on his kitchen island as if to prove his point.

"If she didn't drink any of the water then why is that glass empty?" Diana asked, confused.

"Well," Clark said smiling "every time she declined a glass, _I_ drank it. Which explains why I'm now bursting for the loo. Won't be a sec!" he told Diana as he rushed over to the bathroom with that stupid grin on his face. Diana decided to walk over to the sofa to take a slice of pizza. She looked at the girl and smiled awkwardly. They sat in silence for a moment, Diana with her pizza and the girl with her hot chocolate.

"Hi" said the woman suddenly, making Diana jump out of her seat and nearly spill pieces of pineapple all down her armour. Her voice was quiet but Diana hadn't expected her to say anything at all. Hadn't Clark said that she hadn't even muttered a single word in all the time that they'd been alone together? Why was she suddenly talking now? _Say something, Diana, quickly_ she thought to herself.

"Hi" Diana said tentatively. The woman looked down at her feet with a shy smile. After a brief pause:

"I'm sorry that I've interrupted your evening" the girl said "and come to your apartment. I'd leave now if I could, I just…" the girl held her stomach and Diana could see pain in her eyes. "You have such a lovely boyfriend". Diana smiled and took another look at the girl. She was right, Clark really was the best. The girl continued, trying to find another line of conversation: "It must be pretty cool to be Wonder Woman" she said, looking up now, but still with a hint of nervousness. "I bet you never have to take crap from any guys huh?" She brought her hand up to touch the left side of her face, where the bruise was. She flinched slightly; obviously it still hurt her. She looked back down at the floor and hunched up her shoulders, almost as if she was trying to envelope herself and keep her protected from the outside world. Diana softened, but she still had no idea what to say. The woman was right, Diana had never been beaten to defeat by anyone, let alone a measly Earth male. She wished that she could have said something to comfort her. _If only one of my sisters were here to help_ Diana thought. Themyscira was a nation of women who had been the subject of great atrocities at the hands of men. They may not be able to show the woman the path to healing, but at least they could have shown her that she wasn't alone.

"My name's Mara by the way" the girl said to the Themysciran princess.

"I'm Diana" Diana replied with a smile, before kicking herself for revealing her secret identity.

"That's right," Mara said "I heard your boyfriend call you Diana when you two were dancing together" and then she added, with an embarrassed look, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spy on you. I just… I woke up and I didn't know where I was, and then I saw Wonder Woman dancing right in front of my eyes. I didn't know if I could speak, so I just sat there. I'm sorry".

"You don't have to be sorry" Diana said, just glad that it was Clark who was at fault for revealing her secret identity rather than herself, "just don't tell anybody, okay?" Both Mara and Diana smiled. There were a few moments of silence whilst they both reached for a slice of pizza. Diana didn't say anything, but she was glad that Mara was eating. Something was still a little off about her, Diana thought, but maybe Clark was right about the people here: maybe there was more good in them than they knew.

After a little while Diana realised that she had to say something, but what? Did Mara want to talk more about how she ended up in the alley? Luckily, Diana wasn't forced to make the decision. Clark walked back into the living room. He was a little surprised to see Diana sitting so close to the girl. He'd gotten the impression that she wasn't overly keen of her. He also noticed, as Diana turned her head to face him, that there was an unusual expression on Diana's face; he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"How are you both?" Clark said, mainly to Mara. Diana was the one who replied.

"We're doing well actually, Clark. _Mara_ here has just started talking."

"Oh" Clark said, looking first at Diana and then Mara. "Hello, Mara" he said, politely emphasising her name, "it's nice to see that you're talking and eating again. Is there anything else we can do for you?" Mara just stayed sitting absolutely still, her eyes almost glazed over. Diana noticed that she was doing the hunching thing with her shoulders again. Diana was happy to have Clark back in the room - she was a little nervous about the extent of her compassion on her own - but she could clearly see the shift in Mara's posture and behaviour.

"Maybe you should go, Clark" Diana said tentatively, her eyes fixed on Mara's the entire time. "She seemed to be more relaxed when you weren't in the room". Clark's face shifted, only slightly, but Diana noticed it easily. It hurt him to see that the person whom he had saved wouldn't even talk to him. Of course both him and Diana knew that he could hear what they were saying from miles away, but he felt that that wasn't important. The pain that had flashed across Clark's face so very momentarily was quickly replaced with a smile.

"Alright" Clark said, "I have to go out and grab a few things anyway. I'll be back soon". Then he mouthed to Diana " _are you alright?"_ Diana nodded and Clark left. Mara's shoulders immediately relaxed.

"I'm sorry" Mara said, noticeably embarrassed, "I don't know what comes over me. My mind knows that I want to talk, but as soon as I see him my body just tightens up and I start screaming at myself inside my head. Please apologise for me. Look at me: sitting in his apartment, drinking his hot chocolate and I won't even talk to him. I hope I haven't made him upset - there's not many good ones left".

"Clark'll be fine" Diana said, "he's a strong guy. Now that he's gone, would you like to talk some more about what happened to you? You know, with the..." Diana motioned to the left side of her face.

"Oh right" Mara started "It's my boyfriend. He's done stuff like this before but it's never gotten quite so out of hand".

"He's beaten you before?" asked Diana, anger building up inside her as she thought of the man who would voluntarily inflict such pain on another human being. Sometimes she wondered why Clark even bothered to protect this planet. "Then why are you still with him?"

"Because I love him" Mara said, with a stoic tone, "no matter what he does, no matter what he says, I'll never love anybody else". This angered Diana even more than the man who had beaten her. Here was this beautiful young girl who, only hours ago, had been lying cold, beaten and starving on the pavement in the street because of the actions of a man, and even now she was still willing to forgive, and worse, _love_ him. Diana was now finding it hard to sympathise with the girl. "And will you still go back to him…" she continued "even now?" Diana asked, trying to hold herself back. The girl paused for a moment.

"Yes" she said, finally. "I know you think I'm weak, but I'm not. I'm forgiving. And I'm forgiving because I love him and he loves me. We're a part of one another and he's my favourite part of me. I don't know what I'd be without him". Just before Diana was about to rise to her feet in rage she stopped for a moment. She stopped to do something that she'd never done before when she'd felt fury heaving through her veins. Something in the back of her head was telling her to think. _Could I end up like this?_ Diana thought. _If I continue with Clark the way I'm going, will I fall in love with him like this? Will I lose all reason? Perhaps it is a lie_ , it occurred to Diana, _that love could be innocent._ Just as she was about to follow that line of thought to its logical end her league communicator started beeping. It was the watchtower.

"This is Wonder Woman" she said into the device.

" _Wonder Woman"_ , it was cyborg " _scanners are showing that Superman has engaged an unknown assailant in downtown Metropolis. You're the only league member within range. He's going down hard, Diana. Superman needs your help"_. She didn't need to be told twice. Metropolis was in danger. Clark was in danger. Her pondering on love could wait.

"Stay here" she said forcefully to Mara. "I'll be back". And the woman of gold soared out of the window and into the night sky. _I'm coming, Clark_.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Get back everybody, please!" Clark shouted to the group of school children on the bridge as he managed to break combat for a short moment. _Why is there always a group of school children?_ he thought to himself. "I'll show you how to deal with bullies" he told them with a smile. The assailant was tall, at least ten foot, and was broad and muscular. It looked to be half man/half beast and was hosting some sort of cybernetic equipment on the side of its face. It's eyes were glowing red, but they looked intelligent. _Too intelligent for me to kill_ Clark thought _and with all these people… I have to show them that there's another way_. He leapt forwards, with such speed that he was just a blur of red and blue, and gripped both sides of the monster's neck with all his strength. "There's always… hmph… two ways… hmph… of doing things..." Clark shouted out as he struggled to stay on top of the creature whilst he was being flung backwards and forwards. "There's the… hmph... violent way… and the … hmph…. peaceful way" The creature flung its right arm up towards Superman, grabbing him around the chest and throat with his long talons, prising him free of its neck and holding him high above the ground. "First…" Clark choked out, trying to pull apart the monster's fingers to release his grip, "try the peaceful way… hmph… and if, and only if, that doesn't... hmph… work…" The monster tightened its clasp around Clark's body. _I can't believe how strong this creature is_ Clark thought to himself, _not as strong as Doomsday but still, I'm actually struggling to breathe here_. Clark struggled some more, now beating against the monster's forearm with all his strength: _is the creature getting stronger or am I getting weaker?_ Clark began to feel light-headed. _What's happening to me?_ He thought. He considered the possibility that the creature might have been concealing Kryptonite, but a quick check with his x-ray vision told him that that wasn't the case. _I'm going to pass out_ said a voice in his head, _now would be a good time to try the… the… the violent way…_ Clark felt himself slipping away, the screaming voices of the school children ringing in his ears.

Diana was flying as fast as she could. _Was it possible that Clark was really in danger?_ Suddenly she passed over the bridge. She didn't have telescopic vision like he did, but she could quite clearly see the scene that was unfolding below her. Superman was in the clutches of a huge monster, at least ten feet tall she thought, and was trying desperately to pull apart its fingers. But what else was there? She looked closer. _Is he talking?!_ Diana thought to herself as she saw his lips open and close and his hands alternating between gestures towards the monster and then towards what looked like a group of children who were trapped on the bridge. _I bet he's giving them that stupid lecture about "the violent way and the peaceful way"_ she thought to herself. Then she tried to emulate Clark's voice in her head: " _Only try the violent way when the peaceful way fails, blah blah blah"._

"Well to hell with that!" The warrior princess screamed as she dived towards the back of the creature's neck. She was high up but descending rapidly. As the bridge got larger and larger, as she got closer and closer, she started to see Superman's punches growing slower and weaker until they ceased altogether and his body seemed to go limp in the monster's grip. _O' my God!_

"No!" she screamed as she landed hard and drove her sword into the top of the creature's shoulder, pushing it halfway through its body and into its heart. The creature's body stiffened and its head shot up, as if in surprise. It released its hold on Clark and his body fell to the ground.

"Aaaargh!" Diana screamed once more as she pulled out her sword and launched herself off of the creature's neck and landed on the road in front of it. It was still staggering forward. With a fierce warrior's cry that echoed throughout the whole city she jumped forwards and in one swift motion, with the sharpest sword that Hephaestus had ever forged, cut off the creature's head and let it plummet to the ground. The whole beast fell, first to its knees and then flat on its chest; it was still. Diana was breathing heavily and was covered in the monster's blood as she stood on the bridge, a fierce expression of fury on her face. She looked to the school children.

"It's alright now" she tried to tell them, still struggling to catch her breath. "You're safe". They just stood staring at her. Some had their mouths wide open. They knew Wonder Woman had just saved their lives, but it was still hard for them not to be terrified of her when she stood covered in blood next to a creature whose head she had just severed in front of them. Some of the smaller children started crying. Diana looked down at her armour and brought her hands to her face, feeling the warm stickiness that came from being covered in fresh blood. _O' my God_ she thought to herself. _What have I done_? She only stood there for a moment before Clark's still-limp body caught her eye; he was lying on the asphalt. She didn't have time to think about the murder that she had just committed. She couldn't tell if Clark was breathing or not. She flew forwards in desperation and picked up his body, taking him higher and higher above the clouds, closer to the sun.

"Hold on, Clark" she said, "We're nearly there. Please hold on" after several seconds they had broken through most of the lower layers of the atmosphere and Diana had flown them halfway around the Earth to find a line of latitude that was in daylight.

"This is as high as I can go, Clark. Please come back" The Themysciran warrior fought back tears as she held Superman's body in her arms, trying to hold him in such a way that as much sunlight fell on him as possible. Her long dark hair fell in waves over her shoulders and rested on Clark's body as she hung her head over him, her eyes closed as she whispered to him over and over again.

"Please come back, Clark. The world needs you. _I_ need you". Seconds passed; then minutes passed; then hours passed. Diana still rocked his body back and forth, gently, like a mother might rock a baby. Her eyes shot open when she thought she heard a murmur come from Clark's lips.

"What did you say? Clark! Clark, are you there?" _Yes_ , she thought, _he's definitely trying to say something_. "Speak up, Clark. I can't hear you" she held her ear closer to his mouth. She was starting to make out some words.

"She's…" Clark began, his eyes and lips struggling to open. His voice was only a whisper, but with every second the sunlight was replenishing his Kryptonian cells. He continued. "Six foot tall… and built like a broad". Diana let out a small laugh whilst a solitary tear fell down her cheek. He was singing their song!

"Clark" Diana started "I've done a terrible thing. I don't know what to do… Please… I need you to show me the way. You're our light, Clark" she begged with him in desperation.

"Diana" he started "I would forgive you…" he looked up at her and ran the back of his hand down her cheek "But you've done nothing wrong". Clark was growing stronger now but Diana had begun to cry.

"Look at me, Clark!" she said, motioning to the blood that she was covered in. "I killed that thing! I took off it's head! There were children… and I… they were crying. I made children cry, Kal" Diana broke down. Clark was strong enough to fly on his own now and it was his turn to hold Diana in his arms.

"Di" he whispered. Clark knew what was right and wrong, but he wasn't sanctimonious. If it hadn't have been for Diana then hundreds of people could have died, him amongst them. In his heart, he couldn't believe that she was capable of such a bloodthirsty and animalistic thing, but with his eyes all he could see was a woman who would regret it forever. There was a quote, he remembered, that he must tell Diana one day. It formed the very essence of his being and he lived and breathed its message with every inch of his soul. He repeated it to himself now: _if innocents must be sacrificed in the name of peace, then there can be no peace. And if the guilty must be sacrificed, then it is vengeance in disguise_. Now wasn't the time to tell her, he knew. Instead he just looked at her and said what his heart so desperately wanted him to say. "You're still the most beautiful woman in the world, Diana. Nothing will change that". Diana looked up at him; she was tied up in his arms. He'd done it again. He'd made her feel like everything was going to be alright. They held each other tightly, floating effortlessly in the sky. He held her close to his body and felt the warmth radiating from her. He had never seen Diana like this before. It wasn't the right time to tell her about his powers, he thought, about how they seemed to be weakening. Now was the time for him to sit back and relax, enjoying the view of the most beautiful planet in the Solar System, with the most beautiful woman on it.

"Goodnight, Diana" he whispered.

A/N Keep reading to find out the reasons behind Clark's slowly decreasing power levels. What has Mara been doing in the time that she's been left alone? All will be revealed! I promise that the next chapter will focus more on Clark and Diana's relationship than this one: action scenes aren't my favourite thing to write about. Thank you for reading and keep posting reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Clark had delivered Diana, still sleeping, back to his apartment for the night. He quickly checked on Mara as he dropped her off and was pleased to find that she was fast asleep on the couch. He took Diana into his bedroom and lay her down on his bed. He contemplated for a moment whether he needed to change her out of her armour but decided that she would appreciate neither being woken up nor being undressed in her sleep. He sat on the side of the bed as he gently wiped the dried dark blood from her face with a warm towel. He tucked her in under the duvet and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead. He paused at the doorway, just as he was leaving the room, to take another look at her whilst she lay asleep on his bed. He saw her body slowly rise and fall with every breath; he saw the beautiful curl of her thick, dark hair that had fallen in front of her face and he took a deep breath in. He stood there for a minute just listening to her heartbeat. _What a lucky man I am_ , he thought to himself. He gently closed the door and made his way back out into the living room and then onto the balcony. _Now it's time to see what's happening with my powers_ he thought to himself, and he shot off like a rocket into the night.

Once he arrived at the Fortress he used the large golden key to unlock the door and step inside. He loved the beautiful crystalline architecture here and he took a moment to look at the grand white crystals that stood, almost like pillars, in a symmetrical pattern around the room. He found the colours soothing. This truly was his Fortress of Solitude.

"Fortress," Clark said, clearly and firmly, "run a scan for any foreign poisons in my body". A strong woman's voice replied, seemingly originating from every point at once.

"Small traces of Kryptonite found, sir". Clark was relieved that he at least hadn't found _another_ substance that could have this effect on him; his recovery time would depend on the size of the dose and the duration of his exposure but he could already feel that his strength was starting to build up again. _Still_ , Clark thought to himself, _where would I have encountered Kryptonite? The monster I fought wasn't concealing any, I checked for it ... didn't I?_ Clark began to think that maybe the creature _was_ hiding it and he had simply missed it. _Maybe it was lead-lined? Yes,_ Clark thought, _that's the only explanation. Apart from that beast I haven't been in contact with anything that would be in possession of Kryptonite_. In spite of his best efforts to convince himself, Clark still wasn't entirely happy with his explanation.

"Fortress," he said again. "I need the hydraulic press".

"Yes, sir" the woman's voice replied. A large metal object shaped almost like an arm, but with a metal handle at its stump rather than a hand, slowly emerged from out of the ceiling. If Clark was going to understand what was happening to him, he needed to be able to ascertain the effects that the Kryptonite exposure was having on his powers. Leaning forward slightly, he raised his hands to chest height and gripped onto the metal handle at the end of the hydraulic arm. He'd constructed this machine almost as soon as he had built the Fortress, in order to truly understand how strong Earth's yellow sun had made him, and the idea was that he would push against it with all his strength and the contraption would tell him the maximum force that he exerted. He didn't know what it was made from, as the crystal that had built the Fortress had also built this for him, but he guessed that it was designed to push against forces far greater than he alone could exert. With that in mind, he focussed all of his strength against the machine and pushed with all his might, straining to engage every muscle in his body. After about six seconds he collapsed to his knees, looking downwards and breathing heavily. There was a smile on his face.

"Take that, Kryptonite!" he said, "How much was that?" he asked the Fortress.

"Readings show that you were able to exert a force of over five quadrillion kilograms" the voice replied.

"Alright!" said Clark, pleased with himself. He had almost fully recovered from his Kryptonite exposure now. He did remember a time when he had flown straight into the heart of the sun, amassing so much solar energy that he had been able to move the entire planet, nearly six septillion kilos, but that amount of energy had nearly killed him. _We can live with five quadrillion kgs_ he thought. With that, he left the Arctic and flew straight back home to Diana. He was desperate to figure out where the Kryptonite had come from but, for now, he decided to push the thought slowly to one side of his mind. He slowly made his way home, singing the lyrics to his new favourite song:

 _But that's not why I love her,_

 _And it's not why I think_

 _She's the most wonderful girl a man could ever meet._

By the time Clark arrived it was morning. He checked on Mara as he landed on the balcony and walked through the living room. He smiled as he saw that she was still asleep and he took hold of the empty hot chocolate mug that she had been using and placed it into the kitchen sink. Then he walked through into his bedroom just as Diana was waking up.

"Good morning!" he said to her cheerfully.

"Clark" she said as she sat upright, still rubbing her eyes. Her hair was a mess and she still looked a little tired. Clark just stood there, speechless at the sight of her. _How could she possibly be so beautiful?_

"Why do you do that?" Diana asked him, slowly getting out of the bed.

"Do what?" Clark replied as he broke out of his trance.

"Stare at me! It makes me think there's something wrong. If you don't like the way I look when I get out of bed then we need to end this now. I hate to break it to you, Kal, but I get out of bed every single morning and I don't give a damn how I look". She gave him a glare. Clark tried to glare back at her but instead he just burst out laughing,

"What?" Diana said, getting a little angry, "What's so funny?"

"You are!" Clark said to her " _You're_ so funny! I was staring at you whilst thinking about how remarkably beautiful you are, Diana, of course. You could never be anything but beautiful". There was a time when Diana would have melted to have heard him say that to her, but she noticed that he was just using the same compliment over and over again. She decided to ask him something that had been playing on her mind.

"Clark," she said, "would you still want to be with me if I weren't beautiful?" She looked up at him and prayed that he would say what she needed him to say. Regardless of what she felt for him, and regardless of the fact that she never showed signs of ageing, she wouldn't continue with him if he were only interested in how she looked. She knew plenty of guys like that. She hoped that Clark wasn't one of them.

Clark's smile faded. He could tell that this was a serious question and that it had been plaguing Diana's mind. He thought carefully about what he would say. After a while he straightened his posture and looked deeply into Diana's eyes, a single look that seemed to convey everything that Diana needed to hear. Diana smiled when he looked at her like that. She was about to speak when she was caught off guard by what Clark said next.

"No" he said to her, "I wouldn't". A pained and confused expression shot across Diana's face; she didn't know what to say. Then Clark continued. "I wouldn't be with you if you weren't beautiful, Diana, but I would be with you if you weren't pretty. I'd want to be with you if you didn't have your enchanting blue eyes, if you had red angry skin and warts all over your face. I'd want to be with you if your voice was hoarse and not at all like the sound of a choir of angels. I'd want to be with you if you were four foot tall and bald. I'd still be with you if you couldn't dance like flickering lights on a moonlit pond and I'd be with you even if you didn't have the world's most perfect smile. Diana, I would want to be with you in spite of all of that, because it's not only your body that makes you beautiful, Di. _You_ , Diana Prince, Demi-Goddess-princess of Themyscira, are more than just a perfectly formed face: you're the person behind it. And it's _you_ that I find beautiful". Diana stood there for a moment, overwhelmed by what Clark had just said. After a moment she finally managed to stutter something.

"Oh" she said "wow". Clark held his serious expression for a little while longer. If anything, he was a little embarrassed at what he'd just told Diana. They hadn't been dating for that long and he worried that he might have come across too strong. He _knew_ though, and she must have known as well, that they were destined to be together. The man of steel and the woman of gold: they'd be alone if they didn't have each other. In fact, before Wonder Woman, Clark _was_ alone, and he never wanted to feel like that again. After a few more moments he broke back into his goofy grin.

"That being said though, Di… You might want to brush your hair and get changed into something a little more comfortable. There's something I'd like to show you".

"Oh" Diana said. She was smiling with her mouth, almost an exact response to his own grin, but inside she was shaking. It almost sounded like Clark wanted too much of her. She didn't know if she was ready to give herself to anybody like that. Did she feel for him what he felt for her? Would she _ever_ be able to feel like that about anyone? On Themyscira, warriors were encouraged to build bonds with one another of course (it helped their teamwork in battle) but never to the blinding extent that Clark had just described to her. A terrible thought welled up inside her, starting from her stomach and moving slowly upwards. It made her feel ugly and dark and sick inside, but it occurred to her regardless. If everything that he had just described happened to him, not her, would she still want to be with him? Would she fall for Clark if he were four foot tall? Would she still want him if his skin were red and angry and he had a croaking, hoarse voice, nothing like the slow, soothing one that she had grown so close to over the past two years? Would she be able to love him for the man he was, no matter the face that he was behind? She couldn't bear to think about it anymore. She was ashamed of herself. _I want to feel like that about you, Clark. I really do._ She decided to just shake it off. She gave a graceful spin and her armour magically changed into a long, loose purple summer dress and her hair had restored itself to its usual perfection.

"Alright then, Clark" she said, "Where are you taking us?" Clark smiled.

"Dinner" he said simply. "I owe you spaghetti".

"Nowhere's going to be open for dinner; it's eight o'clock in the morning!" Diana exclaimed.

"When you can fly around the Earth several times in a second, Di, you'll find that you get a few perks. One of which: there's always a place open for dinner". Clark winked. Then he gave a big smile and took Diana by the hand. His skin felt warm against hers. "Come on" he said, slowly floating them upwards "To Italy and beyond!" Clark seemed to find that funny. Diana didn't get it. She repeated him anyway, giving his hand a light squeeze. "To Italy and beyond!"

 _A/N Would have loved to have continued on with this chapter tonight but I'm afraid that I simply don't have the time. I hope you enjoyed this section anyway! Read chapter six tomorrow to find out how Clark and Diana's dinner date unfurls and learn more about the mysterious source of the Kryptonite. As always, thank you for reading and please hit me up with a review to let me know which parts you liked and which parts you didn't - I will adjust how I write the later chapters accordingly!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Clark and Diana landed in a quiet alleyway in Rome so as not to attract any attention to themselves. Clark was wearing a smart white shirt tucked into a pair of jeans and his jet-black hair, although still parted gently to the right, fell a little bit more over his forehead than it did when he was Superman. The majority of his face was, of course, concealed behind his comically large, thick-rimmed, circular glasses which he was required to push up the bridge of his nose at regular intervals. Diana wore a beautiful purple dress and had her hair tied back in a tight ponytail. She also had a pair of round glasses to disguise her face, a trick that she had copied from Clark, although hers were somewhat thinner in their frame and were in fact rather ineffective at concealing the flawlessly beautiful face behind them. Clark took her hand as they began walking out onto the main street and Diana gently rested her head on his shoulder as they walked in a romantic silence down the foreign pavement. They walked slowly, Clark silently adjusting their pace so as to keep time with Diana's soft heartbeat, the soothing sound of which he let flood his ears the whole way.

"We're here" Clark said, smiling as they stopped outside a modest Italian bistro a few minutes later. Diana looked at the outside of the restaurant. It didn't seem like anything special but she trusted Clark; he had the air of somebody who'd been here before.

"After you, my lady" Clark said, holding open the door and bowing in a ridiculously hyperbolic fashion.

"Why thank you, kind sir" Diana said, pouting her lips and lifting up the edges of her dress. She continued "and doth it not please you that…"

"Diana?" Clark interrupted her "that's too much. You… you should stop now". His face was deadpan for a while but then she saw his lips curl upwards playfully at the edges. She just stood there, looking at him, for a short moment, a smile now growing on her face too. Suddenly a voice came from behind the counter. It was a man's voice, with a foreign accent but full of joy.

"Mr Kent!" The man shouted out. He was short, plump and relatively old. He had thinning grey hair on the top of his head but Diana noticed that he had still maintained a bushy, dark moustache above his upper lip.

"Mr Bianchi!" Clark shouted, equally enthusiastically. The man waddled out from behind the counter and eagerly shook Clark's hand. The two greeted one another like old friends.

"It's very good to see again, Mr Kent" the Italian gentleman said.

"And you!" Clark replied. "This is Diana" Clark told the man, signalling to Diana, "my girlfriend". The man looked from Clark to Diana, then from Diana back to Clark.

"Oh wow" the man said, shocked. He enthusiastically greeted Diana by planting a kiss on each of her cheeks. "When Clark said he wanted to book a table for two I didn't expect him to be bringing such a stunning lady friend: what a beautiful young woman!" He looked back to Clark. "Good job there, son" he said, "how much did she charge you?" Diana was a little embarrassed but Clark just laughed. "Not as much as you're about to!" he said. The two men broke into laughter and Mr Bianchi led the couple over to a booth near the back corner of the restaurant, next to a giant fish tank.

"I'll give you two a moment" he said, leaving menus for them both before walking away.

"Well he seems like quite a character" Diana said, after a moment's silence. Clark chuckled to himself.

"Yeah, he is a bit" he replied. "I've been coming here for years but I think this is the first time I've ever brought anyone with me".

"Really?" Diana asked him "So you'd just come here and eat on your own?"

"Pretty much" Clark replied, adjusting his glasses. "I mean, I brought Krypto once…" Diana laughed. The sun was just about to pass below the horizon and their table was lit by the flickering orange glow of a candle. Clark leant forwards and placed his hands in the middle of the table, inviting Diana to do the same. She got the message and placed her hands on top of his, gripping them softly.

"You know" she said, looking down at her lap, "If I held anybody else like I'm holding you now, I'd probably break every single bone in their hand". She looked back up at him. Clark looked at their hands and then turned his attention back to the beautiful pair of eyes that were gazing back at him from across the table. He looked at her smooth, red lips and couldn't help but lean across the table toward them. She met him more than halfway. Diana's face was warm and her lips felt soft and sweet against his. He could feel her mouth move into a gentle smile as they continued kissing for what felt like forever. When they were together it seemed like the whole universe just disappeared. There was no space except for the space between them; there was no time except for the time they spent together. It was during this that a great burden seemed to lift from Diana's heart. She stopped fighting whatever it was that was inside her telling her not to continue. She needed to be with Clark and, even more than that, she _wanted_ to be with Clark. To hell with reason; to hell with what her mother would think; in that moment, there was nothing else that seemed to matter.

After several minutes, Clark slowly pulled his lips away from her. For a moment she moved with him, caught up in the comfort of his embrace and not wanting him to stop. When he did manage to move away, however, Diana noticed that something was wrong.

"Diana" Clark said, panicked. He had gone deathly pale and his eyes were wide in some sort of primal terror. "Diana", he repeated, "Diana, my hand. Let go of my hand". Diana pulled back her hands as quickly as she could, his terror now becoming hers as she saw the horrible sight that lay before her. "My hand" Clark said again, still in shock, "my hand is broken".


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Diana recoiled quickly and shot upwards from her seat. The hand on the table was definitely broken: mangled, with the fingers jutting out from the palm at twisted and unnatural angles. She couldn't understand what had happened: _wasn't Superman invulnerable?_ As Diana stood over the table her breathing rate began to increase. She looked down at her own hands with a great guilt, shocked, scared and distraught at what she had just inflicted. Clark was completely silent, paralysed with the pain that he was so unused to feeling. His face was still deathly white and his mouth hung open in horror. He was shaking, just staring at the hand. After a few moments he managed to calm himself down enough to speak.

"Diana" he started, not taking his eyes off of his injury, "we need to get to the Fortress". Diana showed her agreement with a slow nod. She grabbed a napkin and placed it delicately over the broken hand to prevent anybody else from seeing it and possibly calling an ambulance. Clark winced as even the soft paper touched his skin. Very slowly he got up from his seat. Diana locked her arm in his and they carefully made their way out of the restaurant. As they left they passed Mr Bianchi, who was positioned behind the counter eagerly counting a thick wad of money.

"Thank you very much, Mr Bianchi" Diana said politely "but I am afraid that Clark is feeling quite unwell and he will have to rest at home. Hopefully we will return again" she said with a gleaming smile. Mr Bianchi briefly turned away from his money counting.

"What a shame!" he said "Get well soon, Mr Kent! If you don't recover then I promise to take good care of your lady friend!" he said jokingly, waving them off. Diana wasn't pleased with his comment but she managed to conceal her discomfort, silently congratulating herself on the restraint that, up until she met Clark, she would never have exercised. Once they were clear of the restaurant they turned immediately into a silent backstreet. _How odd_ , Diana thought to herself, _why didn't we just land here on the way in?_ Then it struck her. Clark _wanted_ to walk beside her. He _wanted_ to hold her hand. He _wanted_ to have her head resting on his shoulder. She looked at him, nearly doubled over in pain now. _He is a god_ , she thought, _that thinks he is a man_. _How unusual to find someone like that,_ she continued, _in a world of men who think they are gods._

"Can you fly?" Diana asked him, still extremely confused at how this had even happened. Clark looked upwards with a face that seemed to be in deep concentration. After a moment, and with a long exhale, he looked down to the ground and his body collapsed into a slouch.

"My hand is getting better" he said "and the pain is starting to go". Then after a long pause: "But I can't fly".

"Yes you can" Diana said. "Take my hand".

"Oh no" Clark said, trying to laugh through the pain, "I'm not falling for that one again". Diana couldn't help but smile.

"Just be quiet and hold on, Clark. We'll figure out what's happening to you". She gently walked forwards and held Clark in a light embrace before shooting upwards and flying North. Clark waited before he said anything, conscious that Diana might be angry with him for not telling her about his powers earlier.

"Diana" Clark said as they were flying, "I know what's happening to me. It's been occurring more and more frequently over the past few days". Diana stopped in her tracks.

"What?" she said, "this has been happening and you haven't said anything?" For the first time since they'd met Clark noticed an expression of sadness on Diana's face where anger would have suited just as well.

"Let's get to the Fortress" he said calmly. "We can discuss it there". Diana seemed upset but restarted the flight nevertheless. For the rest of the trip they travelled in silence.

Once they arrived at the Fortress Clark signalled for the hydraulic press and the contraption emerged from the ceiling. He was about to line up to use the machine when he realised that his hand still had not healed. In fact, he observed, the pain had gotten worse since he had landed. He was forced to sit down. Diana immediately came over to him.

"I'm not angry with you, Clark" she told him, gently rubbing his back, "I know you don't entirely trust me yet." She sat down next to him now and rested her head on his shoulder. "What can I do to earn your trust, Man of Steel?" she whispered to him, giving him a light peck on the cheek. Clark turned and looked into her deep, earnest eyes. When they first met he had looked deep into those same eyes and he had seen only a warrior behind them: a warrior driven by a lust for war and for blood (for guilty blood, yes, but blood all the same). As he searched even deeper now, however, he saw only the piercing blue of a Woman of Gold; the red rings that used to dance around her eyes had all but disappeared. Diana looked back at him now with a look that was almost human. Gently she moved forwards again, lightly brushing his lips with hers. Then Clark brought his hands up and held them out to his sides, as if trying to catch Diana's attention with them, and then slowly moved them behind his back, out of Diana's reach, smiling. She smiled back, understanding. He gave a small laugh, followed by a wince, and then moved back into kiss her again. This time there was more than just a brushing of their lips. It was a deep kiss and neither wanted to stop. Diana still felt warm against Clark's skin and she was far faster and more aggressive than before. Slowly he felt her gently bite his bottom lip as she moved her body closer to his, wrapping her arms around his back. She moved her mouth away for a moment and looked at him, a longing in her eyes and her dark, curly hair falling messily over her face. Clark could still feel her sweet lips pressed against his as she moved away.

"You know" she said to Clark, with the dignity of a princess but the inexperienced look of a smitten teenager, "You're the only man I've ever kissed".

"Does that make me the _best_ …" Clark began, "Or the _worst_ you've ever had?" He put the grin back on his face before wincing again. The pained expression on his face brought Diana out of her trance and she shot upwards.

"Clark, we have to find out what's happening to you." Suddenly a sense of focus and duty overtook Diana's voice, the smooth, loving tone completely disappearing."You said that it's been going on for a while: how long exactly?" she questioned. Clark stuttered in his response, still recovering from their kiss.

"Um… two, maybe three days I think. I first noticed it when I fought that monster on the bridge". Diana shuddered for a moment when the memory of that fight came back to her. For a second she saw herself standing on the bridge, covered in warm, sticky blood and standing in front of crying, screaming children. She forced the image out of her mind.

"Okay, two or three days" she repeated, "and do we know what's causing it?"

"Kryptonite" Clark replied.

"Right. Kryptonite, two or three days. Think, Clark. What happened two or three days ago? What's changed?" They both racked their brains for a moment. Then Clark began to talk.

"But the thing is… if I'd only been exposed to the Kryptonite one time then it would have worn off by now. I must be suffering from some sort of continued exposure. Something that's stayed with me..." Clark continued thinking but Diana just stopped. A thought had entered into her head. Clark was standing now and he saw something change in her eyes. The blue had begun to change back to red and there was something even more primal showing through. With a quick spin the purple summer dress was transformed into her Amazon armour, the golden metal accentuating the shape of her body as her chest rose heavily with each new breath.

"Diana?" Clark said, suddenly afraid. "What is it? What's the problem?" Diana didn't move, her whole body seemingly possessed with what could have easily been mistaken for a thirst for blood.

"It's Mara" she said blankly. "Mara's the one who's hurting you".

"What?!" Clark said, astounded. "Mara's just a human, Diana. Besides, she doesn't even know that I'm Superman." Diana looked at him, amazed at his naivety.

"It's not that tricky to figure it out, Clark! You're disguise is a pair of glasses. And anyway, she knows you're dating Wonder Woman. You think she believes that Wonder Woman would date an ordinary reporter?" Clark took a step back, seemingly seeing Diana with a fresh pair of eyes.

"You mean to say that Clark Kent's not good enough for you? Look at me now. I'm not Superman now: I'm bleeding and I'm hurting! I'm Clark Kent now, Di. Do you still want to be with me? Do you like me or do you like the muscle? Because at the moment I'm just a measly human".

"Clark!" she said, amazed that he would say something like that "You know that's not what I meant!"

"Maybe" Clark replied stoically and without feeling, "but I don't know why you won't trust Mara. In fact, I don't know why you won't trust any human". Diana's incredulity began to shift into anger now.

"Maybe I don't trust them enough, Clark, but that's better than trusting them too much!". Clark's voice returned to calm, as if he were repeating some sort of mantra.

"We have to show them a better way, Diana."

"At what cost, Clark?" She looked away for a moment and addressed the fortress. "Fortress" she called out "Ignoring all specimens that are kept here purposefully, how much Kryptonite is currently present?" The woman's voice replied.

"Twenty kilograms of Kryptonite present". Both Diana and Clark were shocked by that.

"You see?!" Diana said, "That's almost like enlacing your entire body with Kryptonite! You see how your trust has been rewarded?"

"It's not true, Diana. Mara is innocent. She's a woman in need of help. Besides, she wouldn't have been able to get a hold of so much Kryptonite."

"Evil works in mysterious ways" Diana replied. "Can you fly yet?"

"I don't think so" Clark said, puzzled.

"Good". And with that, Diana shot off, one fist pointed upwards at the end of a straightened arm and the other hovering over the hilt of her sword. Clark tried to follow her but he couldn't lift off from the ground. He sat back, helpless. A part of him wondered if Diana was right, but he had to give Mara a chance. He just hoped that Diana would have enough sense not to hurt her, regardless of her guilt. Clark slowly began to stand up again. As he did that he noticed that his hand was no longer hurting at all and it had almost entirely healed. _How strange_ he thought.

"Fortress" he called out, "tell me again how much Kryptonite is present". The woman's voice called out effortlessly, emanating from every wall.

"Only trace amounts of Kryptonite found." _What?_ Clark thought. _That doesn't make any sense_. _Only trace amounts?_ _Where's the twenty kilograms gone?_ He was about to consult the fortress again when he suddenly realised what had happened. There was never any Kryptonite in his body at all, but he _had_ been exposed to it. There was only one thing that had moved from the fortress between the first and second scans; in fact it was the thing that had asked for the first scan to be carried out. Clark's voice was filled with regret when he finally said out loud what he knew had just happened.

"Diana. The Kryptonite is in Diana".


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

As Clark stood alone in the fortress he felt like he had just been kicked in the stomach. He rarely lost his composure, and now was no exception, but he dreaded the thought of having to confront Diana. _It's not fair_ , he thought, _it's just not fair_. He stood there for a moment longer, doubled over as if in physical pain.

"Do I not deserve more than this?" he shouted to no-one in particular. After a short moment there was a loud, booming voice that echoed through the fortress and suddenly Jor-El was standing in front of him. Clark's Kryptonian father was a fraction taller than his son. His hair was similar but instead of a jet-black it was completely white except for a single strand of grey at the front. His eyes too were a little less coloured than Clark's but they held no less intensity. It was from him that the voice had originated.

"Kal-El" he began, "I know what is going through your mind." He paused and looked at his son, the projection so magnificently constructed that, at least to Clark, it looked like there was even sadness in his eyes. Jor-El continued. "You are thinking of all of the lives that you have saved, and all of the lives that you have made better. In your head are images of families reunited, families full of joy because of the safe return of a husband, a wife or a child. You see lovers that you have pulled from a train-wreck and you hear the seven billion heartbeats that you have saved from invasions that they did not even know were taking place. You feel their happiness as if it were your own; that's the reason you've stayed". Clark looked at his father now, the father who spoke so wisely and yet with so little passion. For a moment Clark looked like tears were about to well up in his eyes. Finally he spoke back, not with anger or rage, but with frustration.

"But it's not my own, father!" he said, "They're happiness is not mine. My happiness is with Diana. I deserve it, don't I?" Silence. "Don't I!" Clark's eyes grew red now and his hands waved upwards, not with anger but with resignation. "You know I do" he said quietly. Jor-El waited a moment before speaking.

"You know what a hero is, Kal. If a hero worked only to ensure his own happiness, either directly or vicariously through others, then heroes would not be hard to come by." He paused before continuing. "But _you_ are a hero, Kal. You can fight for other people's happiness when you know it means sacrificing your own. Heroes don't get rewarded, son; by definition there is no trophy for selflessness. When you speak of what you deserve…" Now came Jor-El's longest pause. "You are confusing a hero with a champion." And with that, the projection faded into the nothing from which it had come and Clark was left alone. His eyes glazed over for a moment as he thought about what his father had said. After a moment he regained his focus and slowly he began to stand up straight. He knew what to do. First he had to stop Diana, then he had to find a cure. _After that_ , he thought, _spaghetti._ Superman was not a champion, he knew that. Superman would always be a hero. With a quick change into his red and blue he shot off out of the fortress. _It would take Diana about four minutes to get from here back to Metropolis_ , he thought to himself, _it's already been about three and a half. Which means she should be…"_ He sped up a little but didn't need to strain himself in order to catch up with Diana over North-Eastern North America, _right here._ He finished his sentence just as he overtook Wonder Woman and positioned himself, hovering, right in front of her, blocking her way.

"Diana!" he shouted, already feeling the Kryptonite from her body poisoning his cells, "Mara hasn't done anything. She's innocent! It's you; you're what's doing this to me!" Diana still had fury in her eyes and Clark was acutely aware of what she was capable of. She shouted back to him.

"What are you talking about?!" She screamed, "And how are you flying?"

"It's not _my_ body that's been laced with Kryptonite, Di. It's yours". Diana looked down at her body. _Yes_ she thought, _that makes perfect sense_. Diana's head was a jumble of thoughts but she knew that that was the only explanation. That's why she was able to break his hand after, but not before, their kiss. It's why he had been able to gather the strength to fly from the Fortress to here but was now beginning to strain himself just trying to stay above the ground. Then her frown worsened. _And it's why,_ she thought _, Mara had been so keen to talk to me whilst keeping Clark away._ If anything Wonder Woman was now even more angry. What to Clark had proven Mara's innocence had now seemed to Diana to equally prove her guilt. Wonder Woman shot off now, straight into Clark as she made her way to Metropolis, determined to be stopped by no-one.

Diana arrived in Clark's apartment through the window and landed heavily.

"Where are you?" She screamed. Mara, who was still lying asleep on the couch, sat bolt upright at the sound of the warrior voice and Diana caught her eye. Initially Mara was pleased that Wonder Woman was back and she gave her a half-smile. As Diana started marching towards her, however, she sensed that something was wrong. She jumped up off of the couch and began backing into the corner, her eyes growing wider with panic.

"Diana!" she said, "Diana, what's wrong?" Wonder Woman said nothing and continued walking forcefully toward the now terrified Mara. Mara was about to back herself into a corner when she turned quickly and rushed to the door. Diana, however, was too quick and managed to get herself in the way. She found that she was now quite enjoying this sport.

"Tell me how to get the Kryptonite out of my body, woman, or I promise you will face the wrath of the _champion_ of the Amazons!" Diana raised the sword above her head and shouted again. "Tell me!" Mara was now crouching, folded up against the wall and the floor in tears. Wonder Woman looked at her and then lowered the sword, taking two steps backwards. She ran her fingers up and down the flat side of the weapon, admiring the metal and not looking at Mara as she spoke this time. "If you don't tell me" she said, "I _will_ kill you". Suddenly there was a rush of wind that entered the apartment and Superman crashed through, landing on his back and rolling across the floor. He looked up, saw Diana and Mara and used his super speed to get in between them. He struggled to stand upwards; he was holding his left side and his eyes looked dark and tired. Diana realised that he must have fallen to the ground when she had pushed him out of the sky.

"Clark," Diana said, starting to go over to him. "Get out of the way. You're hurt". Clark looked up at her.

"I'm not going to let you do this, Diana" he said slowly. Every cell in his body was starting to ache.

"But look at you! Look what she's done to you!" Diana screamed out, her eyes now red raw. Then she corrected herself, "What she's made _me_ do to you." She looked down, nearly in tears.

"No, Diana. Don't look at me. Look at her". Clark signalled to Mara who was still curled up and crying. It took all his strength just to raise his arm to point at her. "You know she's innocent, Di. And even if she weren't, look at her. She's defenceless. Is this what we do now: executions?" Clark spoke slowly and with concern. Diana looked at Mara and saw the fear in her eyes and the tears rolling down her cheeks. Then she looked at Clark, the man who, even as he was dying, was trying to do the right thing. As she finally came to see the sight in front of her it was Diana's turn to breakdown into tears. She dropped her sword and it made a sharp clatter as it hit the ground. She collapsed into Clark's arms, tears streaming down her face. All she could see was her body covered in blood; she could taste it on her tongue and the thick scent filled her nostrils. She could hardly breathe. Her eyes were clenched tight and she was almost bawling now.

"Clark!" she shouted out through the tears. When she didn't get a response she forced herself to open her eyes and she saw his body collapsed in a heap underneath her.

"No!" she shouted, recoiling from him quickly and backing into the opposite corner of the room. As soon as she moved away Clark began to wake again, slowly pushing himself up from the floor.

"Diana" he said softly, unable to raise his head to look at her.

"No! Clark, don't come near me!" Diana was crouched against the opposite wall, tear-tracks seemingly burned into her face as she cried out in hysteria for him to stay away from her. "You can't come near me! Stay back!"

"Diana" he said again, still unable to fully lift himself. Diana looked at Clark through the haze of her tears and then she looked at herself, trembling now. Still facing Clark she slowly turned to back out of the window, waving her outstretched arms erratically in an effort to keep him away. "Stay away from me!" she screamed again. Then she turned quickly and flew out of the window, straight upwards, the cold wind in her face nearly drying the tears from her skin.

Superman went to follow her out of the window, then he stopped. He looked up at the sky, then to Mara, then back up to the sky again; he didn't know who to save. Diana was distraught, but what could he do? If he went near her then he would surely fall from the sky. He'd never felt so distant from her. He was sure that they were falling in love. _But she's a warrior_ , he thought, and with a deep, regretful breath he turned his back on the window. _She'll be alright for now_. Then he turned to Mara, doing his best to remove Diana temporarily from his thoughts as he focussed on the trembling young girl before him.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a deep, strong voice. When he got no response he went to sit next to her. She was sitting down on the floor, shaking and hugging her knees up against her chest, staring straight ahead. S _he's in shock_ he thought. Clark decided to speak. "I don't normally tell anybody this..." Superman said, his voice growing softer. Clark pulled his glasses out from a secret pocket in his Superman outfit and slowly put them on. "But it's me, Mara." He looked up at her. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It's Clark". Still there was silence. "When I found you on the street", Clark began, "you asked me if I knew anywhere where you could sleep. You were freezing cold and beaten half to death…" he continued, "...and still you called me 'sir' and refused my jacket. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from everything, Mara. Diana just… well there was a misunderstanding. She's a good person. She's strong and loving and passionate. She was hurting. Mara do you underst…" Clark was interrupted when Mara slowly turned her head, looked briefly into his eyes and then leant forward and kissed him. There was hardly any warning. Her tongue was cold and her lips were chapped but it felt like she communicated so much to Clark in that moment: all the isolation she'd felt, the mistrust she'd harboured, the fear of being close to anyone. Clark didn't pull away immediately; there was so much desperation behind her action that he couldn't. When their lips finally parted she just looked at him. She wasn't trembling anymore. Clark looked at Mara, the bruise on her face still visible against her pale skin, the clump of auburn hair cut so much shorter than the rest, her beautiful icy eyes looking right through him and her cheek bones sticking out from her thin, hollow cheeks. All he could think about was Diana.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Clark moved backwards slowly.

"Mara", he said quietly, "you shouldn't have done that". He paused a little, looking down at the ground before continuing. "I'm in love with Diana". He looked up at Mara. Her eyes were still fixed on his and she looked ever so fragile huddled up against the wall. She made no effort to say anything. "Mara" Clark said again, slowly and calmly. "You can talk to me. I promise I won't hurt you". He reached out his hand and gently held hers, making a conscious effort not to put any pressure in his grip at all. Mara slowly looked at their hands before turning her head to look back up at him. Something seemed to switch in her mind and she gently pulled her hand from underneath his. After much deliberation she managed to mutter a few words.

"I'm… I'm sorry". She looked to the ground shyly, the effort that it had taken her to speak to him clear on her face. Clark was delighted to hear her talk but was conscious not to let his excitement show.

"That's alright" he said slowly, "I understand why you did it". Mara looked up and appeared to momentarily forget her fear of speech.

"You do?" she asked. If Clark hadn't have known any better he would have said that he even saw a smile begin to form on Mara's face. He continued.

"Of course" he said. "I can tell from your eyes. You saw the passion that I have with Diana and a small part of you wanted to share in it". He spoke his words slowly and chose each one with great care. "But you are not alone, Mara. You live in a world full of people like you". As he said those last words he found his thoughts turn momentarily to his home planet, Krypton. He never experienced what it was like to live there but many times he had dreamed about how it would feel. He wouldn't fly or lift cars; there would be no responsibility or heroism; he wouldn't have to cover his ears to sleep at night. _A world full of people like me_ , he thought. He held himself in that moment for a little while.

After a minute he snapped out of it and noticed that Mara was hugging him. He thought he even saw small tears forming in her eyes. She held him tightly, her head pressed hard against his broad chest.

"You're our Guardian Angel, aren't you?" she asked him, not moving from her position. "We must seem so small to you". Superman just stared softly at the window that was dead ahead of him. He kept picturing himself holding Diana: her smooth skin, her gentle warmth, her soothing heartbeat. He didn't even try not to think of her. He wanted her to be beside him; he wanted to hold her.

"No", he said, unsure as to which line of thought he was responding, "you're the reason I'm alive".

"What do you mean?" Mara replied. Clark tore his gaze from the window and was forced to stop thinking about Diana for the moment. He looked down at Mara; she looked so small and fragile, like a baby.

"Well" he began, "My spaceship crashed here when I was very young. I landed in a field in Kansas. My whole planet was destroyed, my whole race gone. I should have been dead too. The only reason I'm alive is because I was found by two people who represented the very best that humanity had to offer. They raised me as their own." Clark looked at Mara a little closer. She was still tightly wound around him but he could see that the bruise on her face was starting to fade. He continued. "My father had a dream; for most of his life he had little else. He was the one that created Superman: an ideal towards which we should all strive. I learnt so much from my parents, but there's one thing on which we always disagreed. See, my father was convinced that the ideal that Superman represents is an asymptote, a symbol of perfection towards which humanity should tend but could never reach. I believe something different. Superman isn't a savior from another world. Superman is a reflection of a couple from Kansas; he's a reflection of all the good of which humanity is capable. People trust Superman because they see parts of themselves in him". He paused briefly. "You don't seem small to me, Mara. I know your past; I can see your future. Every time I fly I hear your loss, your laughter and your pain. I can see Superman in all of you and I _am_ in awe of you. I'm not your savior, Mara. I'm just a man. If you need saving, just lift your chin up and look around you: you live in a world full of people who know how it feels to be you". As he finished he saw that Mara was looking up at him, wide-eyed but sad.

"And what does it feel like to be _you?_ " She asked. Clark paused for a moment.

"I don't live in a world full of people like me, Mara. But there is somebody here who knows how I feel. There's one other person who's like me." Clark was silent. Mara was quiet too before slowly muttering

" _Diana"._

Diana flew swiftly, allowing her invulnerable skin to be buffeted by the rain. She was going to the only place where she felt safe now. As she reached the area over the ocean where Themyscira was hidden she charged downwards, effortlessly avoiding the obstacles posed by the magical shield that had concealed the island for thousands of years. She landed heavily on the beach and as soon as she was on the ground she noticed the weather change immediately to bright, sun-filled skies. _I've missed you_ she thought as she picked up a handful of the sand, only to let it fall slowly through the gaps in her fingers like an hourglass. She continued walking inland, through the thick tropical jungle until she reached the city. As she got closer she started hearing familiar voices talking up ahead and she started moving faster: first into a fast walk, then a run, until finally she took off and flew forwards, a huge smile on her face. As she passed through the clearing the first Amazon she saw was Donna and she flew straight into her, both of them tumbling over one another until they finally came to rest about fifteen metres from where they had started.

"Diana!" Donna shouted from underneath her. Soon the two were surrounded by other Amazons who were all equally pleased to see her.

"Diana!" They all shouted, "Diana's back!" They all jumped in and embraced her in a large hug. It didn't matter what she did, Diana realised, she would always have her family here to protect her. She wasn't really alone as long as she had them. As she was held tightly by all of her sisters her mind drifted quickly to Clark, growing up with only Jonathan and Martha Kent. _Now they were gone_ , she thought, _he really was alone_. After a few minutes the Amazons began to disperse and Diana caught sight of Hippolyta on the edge of the crowd. She got up and walked slowly over to her.

"Mother" she said, suddenly using a deeper and more serious voice. "There is something very important that I must discuss with you". Hippolyta looked at her daughter with a stiff frown, gave a nod and walked toward the nearest hut. She shut the door behind them. Hippolyta too had something to share with Diana and she walked over to the far corner with her hands held firmly behind her back. She adopted a rather formal air and raised her chin slightly as she spoke. She was a woman who looked in her late thirties, older than the majority of the Amazons, with dark brown hair and a commanding gaze. She was, like everyone else on the island, stunningly beautiful.

"Daughter" she said. "Tell me what is wrong". Diana was used to the cold formality with which her mother spoke.

"Something terrible has happened. It involves Clark" Diana told her mother solemnly.

"Clark?" Hippolyta said, turning her nose up even more. She would never see any man as fit for Diana; and the way that Clark had been described to her, so closely resembling the Hercules that had invaded Themyscira and assaulted her personally, made her even sicker inside. "I warned you, Diana. Men are only after one thing".

"What?!" Diana said, disgusted. "Clark's not like that! Not all men in the world are like that. This isn't what this is about". Hippolyta gave a small smile; her daughter had played directly into her hands.

"Do you really believe that, Diana?" As soon as Hippolyta had said those words her right hand woman, Phillipus, walked in through the entrance to the hut. Hippolyta's smile widened. "Do you have it, Phillipus?" Hippolyta asked.

"Yes, my queen" came the reply.

"What is this?" Diana said. "Phillipus, what are you doing? What are you up to, mother?" Diana asked, a look of anger and confusion growing on her face. After seeking permission from Hippolyta, which was quickly granted, Phillipus walked over to Diana and presented her with a small metal box, a rectangle, with a screen on the upper side.

"When you're ready to see what your _super_ man thinks of you" Phillipus began, "press here". She walked slowly over to Hippolyta's side. Diana's anger was growing and she almost flung the box from her hand. _How can they be so ignorant?_ she thought to herself, but her curiosity got the better of her. After a quick glance up to Phillipus and her mother, she looked down at the box and pressed the button. What she saw on the screen would stay with her forever. It was a moving video of the inside of Clark's apartment, a view from the window.

"This must have been taken today" Diana said, her eyes still glued to the screen. Suddenly, Clark and Mara came into the shot. They were huddled up against the wall with Mara sitting in his arms.

"This won't work, mother." Diana said, "I long ago came to terms with the fact that Superman was in love with all humanity". Although Diana's words sounded strong her voice started to falter.

"Keep watching" Hippolyta said confidently. Diana turned back to the screen. All of a sudden she saw Mara move slowly back, look Clark in the eyes, and then lean in to kiss him. Diana's eyes opened in disbelief as he didn't pull away and she saw them linger as their lips intertwined. Her heart started to beat a little faster and it felt like it dropped in her chest. She just stood, motionless and staring.

"Now you see" Hippolyta said, walking over to her and placing her hand on her shoulder, "that is what you mean to Clark. It's why we had to keep you away from him". Diana's disbelief started to turn to anger towards the man she trusted. Then she stopped.

"What did you say?" Diana asked, turning swiftly to her mother. "You had to keep me away from him?"

"Yes" the queen said stoically. Diana's face transformed as the truth began to make itself apparent.

"You were the ones who put the Kryptonite in me?" Diana said slowly, edging backwards as she started to figure everything out; she slowly reached for her sword. Everything suddenly seemed to make sense.

"Yes" Hippolyta said, raising her chin even more. "And may I remind you who you are speaking to when you reach for your weapon".

" _Who I am speaking to?!_ " Diana was furious. "How could you do this, mother?" She advanced quickly but Phillipus stepped in between the queen and her daughter with a challenging stare.

"But don't you see, Diana", Hippolyta continued calmly, "it was for the best. Look at what he has done". Diana slowly put her weapon away. She thought of Clark.

"Yes, mother" Diana said slowly. "And I am furious". She paused. "But I will not show fury. I am devastated, mother; but I will not show devastation. These are the things that I have learnt from Clark. I trust him. He has taught me to have faith and modesty and restraint. And now I look at you, and I know you mean well, but in this moment look around. You are teaching betrayal, fear and contempt. _Those_ are the things that I am learning from you. I _will_ get this Kryptonite out of me, mother. I will be with Clark". Diana pulled out her sword and threw it to the ground. She looked at Hippolyta and Phillipus, their faces lined with shock. She turned and walked away towards the door. As she reached it she briefly stopped and looked back.

"I love him mother" she said. And then Diana flew upwards, leaving Themyscira - and her mother and Phillipus' shocked, embarrassed and furious faces - to grow smaller and smaller, shrinking into the irrelevance of the bright blue background of the sea.


End file.
